You are buying ONE (1) Articuno Pokémon Trading Card Game card numbered 4/144 from the Skyridge expansion; this is the non-holo rare variant of the card.  The card pictured is the exact card you will receive.  To my eye, this card is in near mint (NM) condition; please review the listing photos and make your own determination.  For additional details about the item, please send me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I am able.  I'm happy to provide more photos upon request.

This card hails from one of the rarest and most sought-after sets of all time, and will make a great addition to any E-Series collection—or a very generous gift for the Pokémon fan in your life!

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the item will be shipped within five business days of purchase.  Unless otherwise noted, your purchase will be shipped in a soft sleeve and toploader within a lightly reinforced plain white envelope (or a padded mailer for expensive purchases).  If this shipping method is not agreeable to you, please message me prior to purchase.  If you have any questions or problems with the item, please message me before leaving negative feedback and I will try to work it out with you!  As my feedback indicates, buyer satisfaction is my top priority.  (And, on that note, please leave me positive feedback upon receipt of your item!)


Cancellation requests, partial refunds, issues with authentication and international shipping:

  1. With very few exceptions, I don't give partial refunds; too many bad experiences with people trying to B.S. their way into an ex post facto discount.  If you’re unsatisfied with your item, initiate a return case via eBay and I’m usually happy to accept a return for a full refund.
  2. Post-sale messages fishing for a partial refund will be ignored; use eBay's formal return request channels.
  3. For items over $20 but under $35, I’ll occasionally ship PWE (Plain White Envelope) to save on ever-more-egregious shipping costs.  Not paying $6 to ship a $21 card lol.  You won’t get a tracking number, so I’m counting on you to be a decent person in this case and be honest that you received the card.  If this method is disagreeable, let me know and I’ll occasionally make an exception.
  4. Almost every item I sell has a shipping and handing window of (5) business days, as conveyed multiple times throughout the listing.  If you need urgent shipping, I’m probably not a good bet.  Messages hassling me about when your order will ship will be ignored, UNLESS the card is for a special event (birthday gift, e.g.) in which case I will do my best to expedite the shipping. 
  5. If you are (1) an international buyer or (2) buying a card for over $250, your item will be shipped to an eBay Global Shipping Program or an eBay authenticator, respectively.  Once the item is in the hands of the eBay GSP hub or the authenticator, it is 100% out of my hands.  After the GSP or authenticator's receipt of the item, liability shifts to them and there's nothing I can do to help you.  Any communications surrounding shipping past that point (e.g. “it’s been sitting with the authenticator for days” or “I never received my item”) should be directed to eBay.
  6. By and large, I do not accept cancellation requests submitted more than a few hours after sale.  “Accidentally bought this,” “didn’t notice X,” “misread the listing,” “didn’t notice the S&H time,” etc. are unacceptable reasons to cancel, by and large.  It’s on you to read the listing and look at the photos before you click “Buy it Now,” and I lose potential by not having an item listed for days.
  7. I am not a harsh or unreasonable guy, and I understand that extenuating circumstances come up.  A sudden medical emergency is good reason to request a cancellation.  Lack of reading comprehension is not.

Condition classification methodology and disclaimer:

How do I come up with card conditions, and what do they mean?


MINT:  Pack fresh.  I use this designation VERY rarely; typically limited to cards I recently pulled myself.  If graded, I would expect a 9 or 10.**


NM+ (strong near mint):  The higher end of “near mint;” indicates a card that, while imperfect, is still quite clean.  Wear is likely limited to a couple dots of very minor edgewear and/or some barely discernible hairline scratching on the foil, as applicable.  The card would look effectively mint in a sleeve or binder.  If graded, I would expect an 8 or—VERY rarely—a 9 on a really good day.**


NM (near mint):  The card has very slight wear, typically a small amount of edgewear or holo scratching.  “NEAR MINT” DOES NOT MEAN “MINT.”  DO NOT BUY A NEAR MINT CARD EXPECTING A PSA 9-10 CANDIDATE.  If graded, I would expect a 7 (perhaps an 8 if your grader is in a cheery mood).**


VLP (very lightly played):  Similar to NM, but the wear is slightly more pronounced.  Sometimes, VLP or VLP-NM indicates a card with a near-immaculate front but mild-to-moderate edgewear on the back, or similar.  If graded, I would expect a 6—maybe a 7 if your grader is in a cheery mood.**


LP (lightly played):  The card has discernible moderate-to-mild wear, usually in multiple places (e.g., edgewear and slight holo scratching), but no significant damage such as creasing, water damage, defacement, etc.  LP cards typically look great in a sleeve or binder.  If graded, I would expect a 6—maybe a 7 if your grader is feeling generous, maybe a 5 if your grader is having a REALLY bad day.**


MP (moderately played):  The card has significant, easily visible wear, but that wear is generally still limited to things like edgewear, scratching, scuffing, etc.  I occasionally categorize cards that have a very tiny crease or a slightly bent corner as MP, but only if the rest of the card would otherwise be NM or VLP.  If graded, I would expect a 4, 5, or 6.**


HP / DMG (heavily played / damaged):  I use these interchangeably for cards that are straight-up beat: large creases, multiple smaller creases, very severe edgewear, writing, deep surface indents, water damage, etc.  If graded, I would expect a 1, 2, 3, or maaaaybe 4.**


** I do not guarantee any particular grade in any capacity, and accept no liability/refunds/returns if you purchase an item expecting a certain grade and do not receive it.  PSA (and every other grading service) is imprecise, inconsistent, and fickle.  These are simply my best guesses based on hundreds cards personally graded through PSA over the past six years.


Additional General Disclaimer:  I do my best to provide an accurate representation of the item's condition, but I am not an expert and do not guarantee any particular PSA grade, nor do I claim that my estimations of "near mint," etc. correspond precisely with those of PSA or other grading services.  Generally speaking (unless the card is literally pack fresh), the highest condition estimation I will give a card is "strong near mint" or "NM+," which means I would expect the card to grade a PSA 8 or better.


If you are an international buyer purchasing multiple items, eBay will not combine your shipping (as I ship through the Global Shipping Program).  Please message me either prior to purchase or prior to payment and we will work through a solution.


Thanks for looking, and make sure to check out my other listings!  Happy buying!